President Barack Obama has stepped in and said he’s NOT supporting the bill. SOPA: The Anti-SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act)

But there IS another bill, Protect IP (the Enforcing and Protecting American Rights Against Sites Intent on Theft and Exploitation Act), that could be a problem for Internet users. The legislation is scheduled to go before the Senate on January 24th.

Both SOPA and Protect IP attempt to combat online piracy by preventing American search engines like Google and Yahoo from directing users to sites distributing stolen content. Both bills also would allow people & companies to sue if copyright was infringed. The president has come out against both bills, putting pressure on senators for January 24th.

“Any provision covering Internet intermediaries such as online advertising networks, payment processors, or search engines must be transparent and designed to prevent overly broad private rights of action that could encourage unjustified litigation that could discourage #startup businesses” said The White House.